DECAPODA. CRUSTACEA. gelasimus. 325 



Portunus hastiitus, Fabr. ; Suppl. Eniom. Syst., 367. 

 Lupa hastata, Say ; Journ. Mead. JSTat- Sc, i. 65. 

 Portunus dicanthus, Latr. ; Encyc, x. 190. 

 Lupa dicantha, Milne-Edw. ; Hist. JVat. des Crust., i. 451. 



This is the crab which is most sought after for food. It is 

 well known throughout the Atlantic States as "the Crab." It is 

 seldom seen in Boston market, however, and is rarely found in 

 Massachusetts Bay. About the Vineyard it is more abundant ; and 

 in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays it is very abundant. It is 

 easily recognised by its flattened feet and the long teeth, which 

 project at the sides like spines. Its color is green, and its limbs 

 are very long, the hands having a beautiful violet color, on which 

 account it is sometimes called the "violet crab." 



The Cancer hastatus of Linnaeus is a still different species of 

 Lupa ; so that the specific name of Fabricius, adopted by Mr. 

 Say, must not be applied to this species. It is still very doubtful 

 whether this is any thing more than a local variety of L. pelagica, 

 though Milne-Edwards speaks of the remarkable form of the tail 

 of the male, in this species, like the letter T ; and he would 

 certainly have known if the L. pelagicus had a similar one. 



Genus GELASIMUS, Desm. 



G. vocANS. Carapax transversely quadrate^ smooth., a little 

 narrowed behind ; one of the hands in the male very small, the 

 other very large. 



Cancer vocans, Lin. (in part) Fabr. ; Suppl., 340. 



Ocy'pode pugilator, Bosc ; Crust., i. 198. Say ; Journ. Jlcad. JVat. Sc, i. 71. 



Ocy'pode vocans, Latr.; Hist. J\'at., ^c, vi. 45. Degeer; Hist, des Insectcs, vii. 



pi. 26, f. 12. 

 Gonoplax vocans, Lam. ; An. sans Vert., v. 465. 

 Gelasimus vocans, Desm. ; Consid., ^i-c., 123. Milne-Edw. ; Hist, des Crust., ii. 54. 



This is a small crab, found abundantly on bay shores and salt 

 marshes in the southerly part of the State, and on the large islands 

 adjacent. It is well distinguished by its large claiv, which is 

 sometimes on the right side and sometimes on the left, and has 

 gained for it the name of the "Fiddler Crab." They some- 

 times do damage by the holes they dig along the shore, and into 

 which they retreat on the least alarm. 



